Restaurant for small rehearsal dinner?

In June I will be hosting a small rehearsal-type dinner in San Francisco before my son's wedding. We live out-of-state and I haven't spent much time in the city, so I'd appreciate some suggestions on top of my (probably predictable) research results. There will be 16-20 guests, my top criteria are: excellent food (seafood/California-style) and private room or quiet semi-private area (the families haven't met before, and this is our one getting-acquainted opportunity before the wedding, and my own husband has a bit of a hearing problem, so a noisy place wouldn't be good; cordial atmosphere and good service. A view would be nice, but not necessary. As far as price, I guess our limit might be expressed as $$$.

Here's are some of the possibles I've found so far online: Waterfront; Boulevard; Farallon; Red Herring; Plump Jack Cafe. Does anyone out there on this super board know of a restaurant that maybe isn't as "hyped" on the web but would suit our needs and be a good setting for this special meal?

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